Midnight Voyage to Doom

by Phoenixwriter

Action/Adventure Sex Story: In an alternative Steampunk Canada, newlyweds Edward and Mary only want to fly by airship from southern Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia on their honeymoon. Trouble seems to stalk them at every attempt for a romantic voyage through the Northern Ontario sky and the simple goal of a honeymoon. Follow this adventure of Mary and Edward Banting with their trusty heroic servant/bodyguard Serena Wolfe.

The moments passed painfully slow as Edward Banting waited at the Kingston, Ontario train station with his bride Mary Barker-Banting, the regal, 5’ 7”, 36D-28-34, very Victorian, 22 year old daughter of the Minister of War of the Dominion of Canada. Meanwhile a cleverly disguised Serena Wolfe, a 5’ 10”, 34 DD- 29-36, short cropped blonde hair, naturally athletic, intelligent, passionate, worldly, 25 years old, sexy, Canadian Spy/Colonel, born to a middle-classed family and the mistress/wife of Edward and Mary. Edward was a moderately handsome, 5’ 11”, 26 year old, super genius with doctorates in: physiology, physics, aeronautics and chemistry in the employ of the government of Canada and in general the United British Commonwealth. Most of Edward’s work was so top secret that the mere mention would find a person at the end of a noose or some God forsaken place like Millerstown, Newfoundland. He waited for the more elderly world leaders and allies of Canada boarding the train who had attended Mary and Edward’s wedding in the Capital city of Canada, Kingston, at least for a few more years until the buildings in Ottawa were completed.

The last of the dignitaries boarded and as a reporter’s flash bulb went off as they took a photo of the new bride and groom boarding the train. All the security was around the foreign leaders boarding the train on the other tracks, so Edward never noticed the pick pocket who lifted his very full wallet. His trusty friend and passionate lover Serena certainly noticed. As Mary and Edward boarded she quickly caught the man with Edward’s wallet before he got more than a few metres away. Serena viciously and painfully grabbed the hand still holding the wallet and snap, snap she broke two fingers with practised ease.

Serena quietly growled at the young man, “Now give me my friend’s wallet back or we shall see how many of your bones I can break before boarding the train.”

The man yelped and released the wallet. Serena quickly caught up with her friends as the porter grabbed the bags and raised an eyebrow when the two ladies and Edward filed into their stateroom. They stopped for a moment to process the events of the past 24 hours and absorb the fact that they were finally married. It had been a grand party for the government of Canada despite supposedly being the marriage of Mary and Edward. Mary’s grandmothers had planned it as fast as they could. Edward had formerly proposed on Christmas Day and the wedding was 6 months later. Her father was glad to be rid of his incorrigible, secretly bisexual, tomboy daughter. Edward was a rising star in science, a national treasure, best defence against the nearly constant American threat AND the only man Mary was ever truly in love with.

The wedding had been the most lavish and one of the most expensive weddings in Canadian history. There was the cream of the crop of high society from every corner of Canada and ambassadors from many countries; even America despite the war-like footing between Canada and America. There had been an uneasy peace ever since the failed American Civil War which ended with a strong Confederacy and the southern states keeping slavery. The Confederate States remained in the United States, weakening the country as a whole with the north being the industrial centre and the south as a slave-holding agricultural centre with strict laws regarding capturing escaped slaves and kidnapping blacks from the northern states. Over time, machines and freed slaves working as indentured servants to white landowners had been gradually replacing slavery. It was cheaper than feeding, clothing and buying blacks as slave labour; making greater profits for whites. America also ran into strong unexpected resistance from the First Nations/Indians west of the Appalachians who were surprisingly well-armed, modern tactically trained and inoculated with advanced modern cures to European diseases. Long trenches, anti-personnel traps and twisted railroad tracks greeted anyone venturing: west of the Appalachians, north of Texas and east of the Rockies and California. Canadians and their Commonwealth Allies had restricted the spread of the treasonous Americans arming the plains Indians with modern weapons and trained in the latest European warfare tactics; even teaching them how to make explosives which were put to good use. Canada also was close to a deal to bribe and convince the American Western states except California to join Confederation. The largest sticking part was convincing the tribes of the American west coast to give up land to the Americans to settle and grow. It was a brave new world unlike what many had expected. The wedding saw many small and large backroom deals among various nations since so many of their representatives being there; some even remaining for days later while the rest boarded trains headed east.

The trio watched the scenery go by as they passed endless farmland with occasional glimpses of Lake Ontario to the south and the newly completed highway 401 from Windsor to the Quebec border; completed decades ahead of schedule. Population growth and the American threat of invasion demanded it’s completion in 1923 instead of the projected 1968 original multi-stage completion date. Airships were the key since they could transport tons more weight over short distances cheaper than by train; often directly to the construction site. The trio had a very public and affectionate lunch just as the train passed their true destination; the public aerodrome just north of Canadian Forces base Trenton. After a quick lunch they made a fuss about returning to their stateroom to “consummate” their marriage AGAIN. They placed a do not disturb sign on the door while they made sounds of lovemaking as they changed into their disguises as a middle-classed merchant, his wife and their humble servant.

They were soon at the busy train stop of Cobourg, Ontario where they easily slipped among the crowd and walked a few blocks south to behind a gas station where Mary and Edward loaded their bags into a sleek ultra-modern electric-gas hybrid supercharged engine which would barely fit the 3 of them and their luggage. Meanwhile Serena walked into the gas station and after a few words, a stack of bills, their spy friend hopped into the driver’s seat and started the electric motor.

The next stage was the most exciting when they soon arrived at highway 401 as Serena told them to hold on and flipped a switch and the gas engine turned on and they roared down the newly built highway at the astonishing speed of 85 km/h. In no time they were in Trenton where they checked into a moderate quality hotel near the aerodrome, within walking distance, under their new identities as Serena dropped off the car to an associate nearby. After half an hour of waiting, the newly married couple could no longer keep their hands off of each other and quickly shed their disguises and headed for the shower leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. They gently stroked soft young flesh as they slowly, caressed each other washing every part teasing each other; bringing each other close to orgasm many times. Edward positioned his very hard dick at the entrance to his young wife’s pussy and was ready to shove all eight inches into his new bride. Then suddenly she pulled away a little and his dick slid along the crease of Mary’s ass.

“Eddy, wait and it will be so much better once Serena gets here to join us. It’s always better when she joins us making love. I think she needs a reward for planning this escape and our journey tomorrow on the airship eventually to Victoria, British Columbia. I cannot wait to touch her soft flesh. I’m ready to burst after the week long preparations, greeting of guests and then all three of us were so tired that we only had the strength to get out our wedding clothes. I barely had the strength to get her out of that beautiful red flowing dress she wore.” Mary said.

“You’re right as always. She’s so intensely sexy that she keeps me hard and ready for hours. I think my dick was the only part of me awake. I cannot believe that I fell asleep knowing I could make love to my beautiful bride AND another almost equally beautiful woman. I hope Serena returns soon. I can barely stop myself from making love to you.” Edward said

In response, Mary turned off the water, got out of the shower, dried herself, tossed Edward a towel as she got out and walked naked to one of the two beds in the hotel room. Edward dried himself off and joined his bride naked on the bed waiting for their lover to return. A few minutes later while the newlyweds took turns gently pleasuring each other with their fingers Serena arrived with warm chopped chicken sandwiches, fries and mixed greens salad; along with some imported French Champagne. The champagne Serena told them was a gift from friends at the fledgling Trenton Aerodrome and airport. She never asked questions about how they got it. She gathered 3 glasses which came with the room and thoroughly cleaned and rinsed them out a few times. As the newlyweds got out the food, Serena also got out of her sweaty and dirty clothes. A part of her wanted to soak in a nice hot bathtub, but her tummy growled reminding her of her physical hunger. Her loins burned with desire as she saw her lovers walking naked around the room reminding her of another deeper more primitive and pressing hunger.

Mary handed her a chicken sandwich trying to satisfy their physical hunger first distracting Serena from her desire to bury her face in her lovers beautiful blonde lightly covered bush. Edward popped the cork gently and poured them some champagne to celebrate their marriage and the start of their grand airship trip tomorrow. After their early supper, Mary fetched a small box from her suitcase and opened it to reveal a special gift for Serena. It was three interlocked thin gold rings on a light silver chain; two of the outer rings had three tiny diamonds set in the band. The normally stoic statuesque Serena burst into tears of joy; no longer their bodyguard and a cunning spy. She was all woman and Edward reminded her of that fact as he pressed his semi-hard dick against the crack of her ass as he aided his wife in placing the necklace around their lover’s beautiful regal neck. Edward gently guided her by hands on her hips towards the bathroom mirror.

As the ladies admired the necklace and how beautiful it looked around Serena’s neck, Edward reached around her and gently began to stroke her sandy blonde love nest. After he slipped a finger into their lover eliciting a deep moan, Mary broke Serena’s erotic spell by suggesting and guiding them all to one of the queen sized beds. When they got to the bed, Mary removed the necklace and safely placed it in its box and then into Serena’s suitcase. Mary stood by the bed and Serena grabbed her with all her week-long pent-up passion kissing her and after a few minutes moved Mary onto her back on the bed. Edward sat back in a chair watching as his bride was brought to her first orgasm in over a week with the talented tongue of their lover. He was eager to get in on the action, but his bride had other ideas. Mary turned around and pulled Serena on top of her in a sixty-nine, grabbed her hips and began to lick their lover to a powerful orgasm. Serena was far more skilled at pleasuring both men AND women bringing Mary to two orgasms before she finally succumbed to the tongue lashing her pussy was taking.

Mary was a sly young wife waving her husband over, sucked his dick a few minutes to get it wet with her mouth and then inserted the tip into their lover’s pussy. Serena moaned into Mary’s pussy as Edward slowly eased the first four inches of his rock hard dick into that tight hot pussy. He stopped to allow her to get used to his girth and rest a minute before he eased the rest of his dick into her until he bottomed out in her pussy. Then he had to stop to concentrate on not cumming. Then his bride reminded them she was still there as she alternated between licking Edward’s balls and Serena’s clit. Serena wiggled her ass a bit and Edward got the message and slowly built up speed feeding her hungry pussy nearly the entire length of his dick. Once he built up speed Serena was moaning non-stop until she came. Edward had been so close to cumming, but held off hoping to be able to bring Serena to another orgasm before cumming deep in her pussy. A short minute or so of rest and Edward began pumping faster as Mary licked Serena’s clit from below and together the couple brought their lover to another orgasm. When Serena’s pussy stopped pulsing around his dick, Edward pumped faster and faster grabbing her hips until he stopped buried as deep as he could spewing his cum into the deepest part of Serena’s pussy.

Edward rested there stroking Serena’s back, sides and her beautiful round ass and finally wilted enough to slide out of her pussy. He made a quick dash to relieve his full bladder and have a glass of water. When Edward returned to the bed, Mary was licking his oozing cum from their lover’s pussy as Serena gave his bride many short orgasms. When Serena came again, the ladies took a break joining Edward by the table finishing off the champagne while he nibbled on leftover salad. The ladies then moved Edward to the bed taking turns licking his dick and balls until they had him on the verge of cumming. Then Serena mounted his face and then his bride mounted his dick easing herself down on Edward’s thick, long hard dick she had been aching for all week long during the stresses of the wedding. When she was full of her husbands’ dick Mary sighed and was caught off guard as a mild orgasm rippled through her entire body. After a few seconds rest, Mary began to ride her husbands’ dick to a much stronger and more satisfying orgasm. Edward had been distracted enough licking Serena to a powerful orgasm that he was able to stop from cumming. Serena then moved off the bed to watch her lovers increase their passion.

Mary was satisfied and now she was on a mission to give her husband an orgasm he would remember for many years to come. She bounced faster and faster, gripping Edwards’ dick like a glove until while seated firmly on him he shot load after load of cum deep into her depths. Mary collapsed on top of her husband and he automatically wrapped his arms around his bride. They relished the consummation of their marriage for a moment passionately kissing until they were reminded they were not alone as Serena gently stroked her lovers to get their attention before they became glued to each other from leaking cum pouring out of Mary’s pussy. Then Serena dragged her lovers reluctantly to the shower. Tenderly they stroked each other and Edward fucked each of his lovers one more time taking them from behind in the shower until he brought them to orgasm. They cleaned up, got out, tenderly dried each other and piled into the unused bed to go to sleep early in order to have time to make love one more time before boarding the airship in the morning.

Edward’s last thought as he fell asleep under a pile of hot sexy passionate female flesh, was that he was the luckiest man in the world. The sun was not even up as he awoke to sounds of women making love nearby. As Edward got up to watch and possibly take part his lovers climaxed; Serena followed by Mary. Watching them had made Edward instantly hard. He moved to the entrance to his wife’s pussy and eased into her slowly until fully in her; then stopped. Edward grabbed his wife’s cute little ass and began to pump in and out of her until she came again followed a minute later by Edward. Edward eased out of his bride and dragged his lovers to the shower as they got ready for the day ahead.

They got shaved, perfumed and dressed for a day of elegant flying in the most high tech flying machine of their time. Serena was dressed: Crimson pantaloons, long black wool coat almost ankle length, white knee length silk stockings, black steel toed short almost military styled work boots, a matching black vest with small covert armour plates of ceramic for the outer layer and thousand folded samurai-like steel plates for the inner layer, black silk blouse and matching lace panties and lace half corset, a thick short top hat adorned with a white rose and fine black cotton gloves; the coat adorned with brass buttons on the cuffs and along one side. Hidden inside the coat were a mini crossbow with electric accelerated bolts, numerous throwing knives and two electric accelerated cap and ball pistols. Serena was as beautiful and regal as she was deadly; holding the firepower of an entire squad of soldiers inside her coat.

Her true power was her intelligence, passion and raw sexuality. She had been orphaned at ten when her merchant parents died of disease shortly after a voyage from England. Her grandparents had died from illnesses and an aunt and uncle had died in house fires years earlier. She had been shaped by tragedy. She was tough and held her own at the orphanage where a spymaster looking for future international spies spotted her and enlisted her to become a spy for Canada. The current Minister of War became her legal guardian and raised her along with his own daughter only with greater intensity and teachers from the nearby Royal Military College and obsolete Fort Henry. Serena spent time exercising, learning math, physics, geometry, chemistry almost every waking minute of her life. Pleasure came from rare times of play or mutual study time with her younger ‘sister’ Mary whom she seldom saw after Serena turned eighteen and was off to far flung parts of the world on covert missions. When she came home there was always Mary and they grew closer than sisters easily becoming lovers.

When Mary met and fell in love with a rising star in the science community and a genius in most things, Edward Banting, things immediately changed. His distant grand-cousin was the co-discoverer of insulin, but apart from that single bit of family fame he was nobody relying on his own intelligence and abilities to make a name for himself. His grandparents had died in the 1919 Flu pandemic same as Mary’s mother and his parents were killed by American raiders while visiting Niagara Falls. Through fires, work accidents and illness, most of Edward’s family had passed away. It drove him to invent and create things which could help people. The death of his parents motivated him to create weapons and more efficient ways of doing things. When the Ministry of Science and technology hired him while finishing school he jumped at the opportunity. Soon after his parents died in the raid and the Ministry of War saw the opportunity to hire him to focus his talents to prepare Canada for the coming wars. It didn’t hurt that the Minister of War had a beautiful daughter he was instantly attracted to.

Serena also soon fell in love with Edward, taking him and Mary as lovers under the guise of “guarding” these important assets of the Dominion of Canada. In her trade as a spy she had learned to take many lovers and trust nobody. She knew many secrets of others and the only secret she kept closest to her heart was her love and desire for Mary and Eddy. So often in so many places Serena had to be somebody else or do unspeakable things for King and Country. She could never truly wash away the blood of those she had killed, but she could return to Kingston, Ontario to her lovers Edward and Mary to simply be whom she felt she was; a beautiful young woman who loved to dance, weapons and was fascinated by machines. The faster the machine the more it interested Serena. She loved the deadly and sometimes whimsical ‘toys’ Edward made for her and her fellow agents. It was not some rebellious brash thing falling in love with Mary and Edward. They were a part of her and she was a part of them.

Mary grew up with wealth, education and the best of everything, yet was an incorrigible tomboy who wanted to learn many of the martial arts and combat techniques she saw her older sis learning while she sat inside the great house learning the piano. Mary had to learn everything about all the eligible bachelors of Canadian high society and the royal families of Europe she was expected to marry into. A chance barging into a secret briefing of a new invention of Eddy’s being shown to Serena for field use and critiquing changed her life forever. She came face-to-face with the most handsome and interesting man she had ever met. It was love at first sight for both Eddy and Mary. He stopped talking immediately and Mary uncharacteristically apologized to her father and big sis for interrupting their meeting. The chance of meeting Mary spurred Edward’s genius to create many new brilliant weapons and gadgets useful to the commonwealth or specifically Canada in the never-ending American and European threats.

Mary took every chance to talk with him and use the skills at courting she once mocked. Her natural raw intense and unharnessed intelligence is what attracted Eddy to Mary. Eddy was a real man and genuine. Eddy was not some phony rich boy like those strutting peacocks her father endlessly paraded past her. Eddy wanted and desired all of her, but was pathetically shy. She knew he wanted more than just her hot young twenty three year old body she had only shared a few times with only one person; Serena. It had been Serena who taught her about sex and what men liked and didn’t like. Serena also told her how to seduce even the most shy of young man. Serena taught Mary how to wrench the most pleasure possible from the female body during several nights of forbidden Sapphic love. Many of those same lessons she in turn taught Edward when Mary was finally ready for sex with a man. Eddy made a concentrated effort to get to know Serena when she was in town and was easily convinced to share a bed and in the lovemaking between both of these lovely women.

He soon found he was also in love with Serena, but she was frequently away on secret business and only requested he design specific tools or weapons for her missions. After an intense love making session while the Minister of War was out of town on business Serena asked if there was any biological way to prevent pregnancies in humans. Eddy said he would look into it on his spare time. A few months later he had a working product and tested it among prostitutes of Kingston and Toronto. Some religious opposition remained to contraception like now readily available condoms, but Edward’s female centred idea of a birth control pill taken daily placed the choice and power over whether or not to become pregnant into a woman’s hand instead of solely a man’s decision. It also allowed female spies to go further in their seduction of men for the secrets they held.

Soon Serena and Mary were some of the first women to use Edward’s secret birth control pill. Edward found a chemist who could produce large regular quantities secretly for the consumption of female Canadian spies like Serena and the elite women of Canadian society who would pay a high price for a way to prevent dying in childbirth like common poor women in the cities of Canada. He split the profits with the chemist and it allowed Edward the extra money to rent a house and a few imported luxuries like champagne from France or rum from Jamaica or coffee and diamonds to adorn Mary and Serena. Some of Edwards other little inventions also made him money like: hybrid engines for cars, planes and airships and camouflage for boats and airships which break up their outlines making them hard to see at a distance and small electric assisted guns and stunners for stealthy attacks or close combat protection. He also had ideas for using coal to make diamonds or hardened metals instead of using it as a polluting smoky fuel source. He also had the beginnings of another idea for detecting machines at long distances. He was currently working on how to turn wind energy into electricity for small military outposts or small communities spread far across Canada making it easy to send telegraph messages anywhere in Canada.

Edward eventually proposed to Mary. Later, secretly and in very private settings, the two of them proposed to Serena. There was nothing legal or sanctified by any church about the proposal or later marriage to Serena by Edward and Mary. In their eyes and hearts the three were married. The bodyguard and servant role seemed like a fun ruse to Serena. Mary was looking forward to ‘spanking’ or giving Serena a ‘dressing down’ for some minor mistake her servant had done.

As they climbed the retractable steps leading into the long gondola under the bulk of the dirigible Edward noted many of his inventions and those of colleagues found everywhere outside and inside this mighty ship of the air. It had his camouflage paint scheme as its only real protection and his hybrid engines, but not his latest giant ducted fan engines which would be superior to these older diesel-electric hybrids which still belched telltale black sooty smoke which could attract enemy fighter planes from great distances. A boarding soldier bumped into him as he suddenly stopped to admire the paint scheme of the airship for a moment. The soldier was part of the 3 squads making the journey to Victoria with them.

He quickly followed his lovely ‘brides’ to their modest cabin near the rear port side of the gondola. It was in a section with extra sound-proofing due to the nearby engines on one side and the luxury suite at the back of the airship gondola. It was half the size of the hotel room they shared the night before and only slightly larger than the train berth they had had before that. Serena had chosen it to hide their screams of pleasure, give a great view and yet be large enough for the three of them to share; along with having somewhat more protection than other parts of the gondola. Once they got settled they shed their disguises and got into comfortable more casual clothes. When they were dressed, an announcement told them that they were about to depart Trenton Airship Aerodrome. The many anchor lines were cranked in, the boarding ladder retracted, cargo secured and then the mighty diesel engines roared into action. The engines belched thick black smoke as they reached full power and the giant of the air lifted into air at a gradual 30 degree angle. The engines groaned to get the airship to the correct altitude where the hot dense summer air was thinner and cooler. When they were over the growing city of Peterborough, Ontario the airship was cruising at a comfortable speed headed for the first stop of North Bay, Ontario.

The airship cruised past the south western edge of Algonquin Provincial Park and the tour guide announced the great natural wonders of this park. They headed past the town of Huntsville and following the start of a trans-Canada highway system to increase the flow of goods and increase the number of remote outposts to protect and alert of any possible American invasion or skirmishes near the border. It would also increase the flow of goods to and from various Indian Nations scattered across North America. A prosperous and happy ally was a good ally. Once they safely and gently landed at the aerodrome west of the university and north of the hospital and Lake Nippisssing it was time for lunch as some heavy equipment, medical supplies and perishable food was unloaded. It was announced that during the unloading and loading process passengers were welcome to do a bit of sightseeing, what little there was, in the area.

Lunch was simple mix of potato or mixed greens salads and salmon or chicken club sandwiches with a rare treat of strawberry sundaes with fresh southern Ontario strawberries. After lunch the three returned to their cabin, placed a do not disturb sign on the door, closed the blinds for their window and quickly got undressed. Up to now they were getting to know their fellow passengers or admiring the scenery below. Now that they were filled with a good refreshing summer meal they were hungry for other things of a more carnal nature. They kept their lovemaking subdued and quiet until they heard the engines roar into action and felt the airship gently rise. Then they increased the speed and passion of their lovemaking with the roar of the engines masking the screams of pleasure of first Serena and then Mary; ending with a groan of pleasure from Edward.

It was a short trip west and then north to an industrial airship aerodrome south of the Sudbury airport and east next to the nickel mining operation. Despite the cargo area being separate, dust and dirt still wafted into the passenger section of the airship. This time there was no message over the intercom inviting passengers to explore the area and only a sputtering off of the engines to acknowledge the landing of the airship at all. Some workers got off the airship, lumber unloaded and refueling was done for the airship. Rocks containing either gold or iron were loaded into the cargo hold of the airship to be refined in Sault Ste. Marie and turned into steel ingots and gold bars. While the loading and unloading of cargo was being done, dutiful and acting as a servant, Serena fetched some cold iced tea for the three lovers. Edward and Mary had not travelled to such dusty mining outposts like this and asked Serena if this was typical. She confirmed it was as dusty and dirty as most, but more advanced and prosperous than the ones she had been to. Soon after, they fell asleep and had not been aware they were airborne until the announcement of the first sitting for supper had begun; meaning them.

Quickly they got dressed in the finer clothes, dropping their disguises to reveal their true identities. Wait staff whom had snubbed them before due to their middle class merchant disguises now bent over backwards to help them and be of service to them. Even the food was slightly better; fresh Lake Nippissing area trout with wild rice for the ladies and Prince Edward County raised AAA sirloin steak with mashed potatoes for Eddy. Dessert was fresh strawberry shortcake and coffee with a chocolate liqueur. The three returned to their cabin and shed their clothes in record time and instantly began the “three play”.

The Attack

A sharp climbing of the airship and loud roaring restarting of the diesel engines to full power knocked the three lovers from their bed disrupting their lovemaking instantly. They raced to get dressed in casual work clothes, pants for Edward and pantaloons for Mary and Serena. Serena grabbed her long jacket filled with assorted weapons and her body armour. Edward grabbed a thinner newer version from his heavy “inventor’s suitcase” and a similar more masculine version for himself. He grabbed a short electric assisted rifle and two pistols for Mary. They were as ready or better so for combat than the few squads of soldiers travelling on board.

The airship was as high as it could go and still have enough oxygen for passengers to breathe, but the newer attacking pirates or American Air Corp planes matched the altitude. The first plane attacked from the rear trying to get a clear shot at one of the engines to force the airship down gradually. The first few bullets penetrated the luxury cabin killing instantly its noble occupants. A second plane made the mistake of getting into the crosshairs of the newlywed couple and their advanced weaponry. Edward fired sending lightning fast razor sharp shards of metal through the engine of the marauding aircraft. Mary was more of a marksman with a deep dislike for these invading, thieving, murderous Americans sending her first shot through the back of his head and her second shot through his heart. He and his flaming machine would be long dead before hitting the ground.

Meanwhile in the middle and front of the airship Serena had taken command of the airship under the authority of the Ministry Of War. She confirmed that a wireless message had been sent to nearest airbase in Sault Ste. Marie and most importantly help was on its way. Serena got on the radio, gave her special security code, they confirmed it with the Ministry of War and the derisive tone the air commander had minutes ago vanished instantly and he had no problem taking orders from a woman. She got the security codes and frequency of the incoming Canadian fighter interceptors. The air commander sent a message to the fighter’s enroute to obey this woman without question and trust her without question.

Serena ordered over the radio, “I got to make this quick and simple. Herd the enemy planes as close as you can to the middle of the airship level with the windows close to the ground. That’s where the 90 troops will be spread out. Shoot them down if they get out of range of the troops or close to the front where I will be with a few nasty secrets; friends with the same longer range nasty secrets will be near the rear of the gondola. Take two of your best pilots to go to an area above the southwest tip of Bois Blanc or Mackinac Islands. Our planes have longer range than the American planes, so they are most likely using a remote airstrip on the island. Or, my bet is airship aircraft carrier: two lightly armed, hydrogen filled unlike our safer helium airships. This is NOT my first battle with airships and planes. I cannot say more. It’s top secret. Good hunting and hopefully we will all make it to Sault Ste. Marie alive.”

The battle unfolded almost exactly as Serena had predicted. Her commanding voice soon silenced any grumbling from the troops on the airship who hated taking orders from a woman. She clearly knew what she was doing and cared about the troops; especially the inexperienced ones. The enemy planes came in fast with clearly visible American markings in a brazenly illegal raid. Panic and fear among troops and civilians was a palpable tangible thing as they huddled in the middle of the gondola above the protective ore in the cargo hold. One green soldier died when he was too afraid to fire his trusty reliable Lee Enfield rifle at the plane in his sights.

At the front of the airship an American plane was lining up for an attack on the other side of the gondola when he was surprised by an explosive tipped rocket and electric assisted crossbow bolt hitting and exploding his fuel tank and plane burning him alive as he fell out of the sky south of the tiny town of Thessalon into the St. Joseph Channel. Another pair of planes tried a fast upward attack from the rear hoping to kill an engine or two. Instead, they got shot through the heart at the same exact moment long before they got within normal firing range by Mary and Edward. A few of the soldiers on board got a couple more, most never got close thanks to the skilled pilots of Sault Ste. Marie.

The two sent after the airships got one airship and forced the other to crash into Mackinac Island trying to evade the enemy aircraft. On the way home, the two caught and destroyed a pair of damaged planes fleeing the battle with the Canadian airship. The airship itself did not escape unscathed and one engine on the side opposite of the side guarded by Edward and Mary was badly damaged and caught fire. The fuel to the engine was turned off and they pointed the airship into the wind and made an emergency dive to blow out the fire. The idea worked, but they could not gain more altitude and barely had enough fuel to limp to the large airship facility north of the aerodrome. When they landed the casualty list was announced: 4 passengers killed, 2 wounded, one crew member killed and one wounded, three soldiers killed and two wounded. Very minor casualties by anyone’s standards. Serena had been hit in her body armour with only slight bruising and Edward also got hit in his body armour.

Exiting the airship Serena turned to Edward saying, “Never again will I complain how heavy one of your suitcases is; especially if it contains body armour.”

Serena laughed and winced in pain. Edward merely smiled and winced in pain.

The Layover

Mary in a panic of worry called for a medic or doctor so that her spouses could get proper care. Edward and Serena waved the doctor away and grudgingly accepted seeing a nurse in a hospital tent. They both knew there were others much worse off than they were. They knew some wounded may have died on the way from the battlefield in the sky above Thessalon to Sault Ste. Marie. In the tent, they removed the body armour to reveal slugs caught in the armour and bright red welts from the bullet’s impact. The nurse said they needed a few days of rest with little movement and they should be fine. No cracked ribs and only nasty bruises. The next airship was due in six days going west and in three days going east. They had missed the train by a few hours. It seemed as if they would be staying for several days.

Serena asked the manager of the aerodrome if there was anyplace nearby, comfortable and secluded to stay. He told her his cousin owned a series of cottages north of here. He made a quick phone call and confirmed he had a dozen empty cottages. He made another call for the poorer passengers and crew getting them rooms in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. A shuttle bus first took the rich people like Serena and her lovers/spouses to the cottages and then returned to take the others into the city. The “cousin’s wife” greeted them cheerfully and walked each of the guests to the cottage of their choice; Serena choosing the most secure and isolated cottage on the small “Prince Lake”. Everyone was told meal times at the restaurant behind where they had been dropped off next to a small store and main office; centrally located. Serena said two of them had some bad bruises and would gladly tell the tale if she would return with a basic light breakfast at 9 am. The wife ran away very happy at the prospect of news from anywhere; agreeing to return in the morning.

All three were eager to make love, but after many grunts of pain they gave up trying and cuddled naked falling asleep. They grudgingly woke to the rising sun streaming through the window of the simple well decorated one room cabin with an outhouse nearby. They admired the room for moment and Mary got up to close the curtains; quickly falling back asleep. A knock on the cabin door woke them again and they all grabbed their robes. Then they opened it to a tray filled with French toast, home fries and bacon. She said she would return in a few minutes with coffee and some ice water. She returned and said she would be back in an hour for the dishes and the promised tale. It turned out to be twice the amount of time they needed and they chose to attend to their personal care needs like shaving and getting dressed. They were more than ready she returned.